Will You Defeat Them?
by racefh853629
Summary: Third in the Mia series, taking place about four months after the conclusion of "The Beaten and The Damned".
1. Welcome Back?

A/N: Yes, here we go with the third in the series. I hope you guys are all as excited as I am. Anyway, as always, I only own Mia and Mikayla. The rest belong to CSI and CBS. There will be more OCs making appearances and a cameo or two along the way, and this story really isn't all that long, either. So, if you're enjoying this, please let me know along the way. Thanks for coming back to the third. :D

* * *

Prologue: Welcome Back?

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, watching as she seemed to scrutinize him. "I don't know why," he said. "Why I pushed her away. I do love her, which is why it's completely crazy that I believed every word he said. I know they were lies. I know she couldn't do that. Yet, I believed him when he said that, and that made me act odd. And I pushed her away. I felt so… stupid."

"And how do you feel now?" she asked.

"Still stupid. I know she's okay, and I know she's alive, but I know that she doesn't want to see me, deal with me, talk to me. And I can't blame her."

"How does that…"

"Make me feel?" He sighed, biting his lip. "Sad, really. Sad that I lost her. She trusted me, and I broke her heart. She's a hard person to crack, to get in with, and I managed to do it. I don't think she'll let me in again if I see her. Nick keeps telling me that's not the case, but I don't know."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"I don't know. Seven, eight months ago?"

"Where'd she go?"

"Nick said he found her in LA. She has an apartment out there, no clue about a job, though."

"Have you tried contacting her?"

"Once. I tried calling her."

"How did that go?"

"I hung up after she answered."

"How come?"

"I wasn't sure what to say to her." She nodded. "I pushed her away. One of the last things I said to her was telling her to go kill herself and get it over with. Because I was angry at her, for no reason. Every time I saw her, I went crazy. And then I got even worse when I couldn't see her anymore. And that's how I ended up here."

"How do you feel about being here?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. I have to be here."

"No one says you do, Greg."

"I do." He looked down, and she watched him. "I need help. That's why I'm here. I can't do this anymore."

"Then, let's begin."

* * *

Grissom walked into his office, eyes trained on his mail, making him oblivious to the other presence in the room. She stood as he walked closer, still not noticing her. "Hey, Griss," she said softly. His head snapped up, looking at her as she smiled softly.

"Hey, Mia," he replied. He placed his mail down on the desk, and she stepped forward, embracing him gently. He returned the hug, and felt her sigh. "Please, have a seat." She sat down, crossing her legs.

"How's it going?"

"I'm good. How have you been?"

"Pretty good." He nodded.

"So, you want to come back?" She nodded. "Nick finally convince you?"

"Pretty much." Grissom nodded again. "Do I have to re-donate?"

"No. Not tonight, anyway. How much has Nick told you about what's going on out here?" She sighed, shrugging.

"He was cryptic. Told me that for the betterment of everyone else, I should come back. I've missed you guys, and I was thinking of coming back before he said there was something going on out here."

"But he didn't tell you what it was."

"He said he'd tell me when he saw me." Grissom nodded. "Big deal, huh?"

"Yes."

"And I know you can't tell me."

"Correct."

"I respect that." He nodded.

"My next question…"

"Nick and I are not dating. Not in the least. We've come to an understanding and a pseudo-friendship. He's looking out for me, and vice versa. He said he needed me to come back, and I did. That's it."

"Okay."

"And, to answer the other thing you want to know, yes, I still love Greg. No, I'm not upset with him about anything because I love him, and I understand that he was brainwashed. I was trying to make things easier for you guys by leaving, but I know that it made things worse. Maybe by me being here, it'll help. I don't know. From the way Nick made it sound, it can't get much worse." Grissom shrugged.

"Do you really want to be here and stay here?" he asked. She sighed.

"Yeah, I do," she told him honestly. He nodded.

"Okay, then let's get shift started." The two of them walked out of his office, heading for the break room. "So, what'd you do in LA?"

"Nothing, really. I got a place to live, saw my old friends… that was about it. Talked to Nick. You know, he came out to see me about four months ago."

"Yeah, he told me later about that." She nodded.

"Yeah. I guess he told you about a month ago, right? That's when Catherine started calling me, so I assume that's when it was."

"Yeah, about that."

"Griss, I gotta be honest with you. I'm not too sure what I'm doing out here." He looked over at her curiously. "I'm not entirely sure I was ready to come back yet. But, I felt obligated to Nick."

"You sure you're up to this?"

"That much, yes. I'm ready for the job. But here, Vegas, is the issue."

"Is it easier without Greg here?" She shrugged.

"Not really. I'm always one for facing my fears." He chuckled.

"Well, here we go." They walked into the break room, finding Catherine pacing while Nick and Warrick talked in the corner.

"Hey, guys," Mia said, smiling at Grissom. The three elder CSIs looked at her.

"I didn't know you were coming back," Catherine said, looking at Grissom, who shrugged.

"I didn't think I was gettin' through to you," Nick said, standing up and walking over. He hugged her tightly, and she squeezed him back.

"I'm not as dense as you are, Fatass," she told him. He smiled as Warrick stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder.

"Welcome back," he said softly.

"Thanks."

"Okay, guys. Nick, Mia, 419 at Stripperama. Warrick, 415B in a parking lot Off-Strip. Catherine and I have a 419 in Henderson." The team split up, heading to their night's locations.

* * *

As they drove, Mia sighed, looking at Nick. "So, you gonna tell me now or keep me in suspense?" she asked. He arched his eyebrows.

"Tell you what?" he asked. The thought of Greg hadn't even crossed his mind.

"What's going on out here that's so bad that you needed me here?" She watched as his face fell.

"Oh, right. About that." He sighed. "Okay, so it's like this. You know how I told you Greg had become a pretty big drinker?"

"Yes."

"One night, about a week ago, he was drunk, and he tried to commit suicide." She gasped.

"How?"

"Jumped off his porch." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Isn't that only three feet?"

"Yes."

"So, what made you think it was a suicide attempt over him being stupid?"

"I had just brought him back from the bar, and he told me he was going to kill himself, and then he jumped off his porch. When he sobered up, he felt a little dumb." She nodded. "Then, a few nights later, he didn't show up for work on time, and Grissom sent me over there." Mia nodded, swallowing as she watched Nick. "He had his gun out, and he was holding it under his chin. I don't know how I managed to talk him down, but I did. After that, he went and checked himself into a hospital to get help. And he's there now." She nodded.

"God," she whispered. "How's he doing?"

"I don't really know," he admitted. "I haven't talked to him in a couple days, since he decided to go in."

"Can he have visitors?"

"Not yet. He's only been there two days. If he makes it a week without an incident, then he gets to have visitors and privileges. It's an intense inpatient rehab, you know? He's there for alcohol as much as depression and suicide attempts."

"Was he sober the night he didn't show up for work?" Nick sighed.

"Yeah."

"So, he really wanted to kill himself?"

"He's hurting, and he's confused. He completed his PEAP, and that was it after his kidnapping. He never dealt with it. He let it control him, and he pushed you away. When that happened, he turned to alcohol, which led him to a deeper depression and, eventually, he tried to kill himself." She nodded, sighing.

"Sorry I left," she muttered.

"Hey, you did what you had to do to take care of yourself," he defended. "I woulda done the same thing. You can't blame yourself." She nodded as he pulled into the parking lot. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Let's get through tonight, okay?"

"Deal." They climbed out of the car and headed inside.


	2. Hopes and New Beginnings

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, folks. My flash drive died, and I've had very little time to regroup since, until around now. :) I don't own CSI, CBS, or any known entity. I do, however, own Mia. I hope you enjoy the story, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 1: Hopes and New Beginnings

"I don't know," he said, looking at her. Every day, they were in the same position for at least three hours, though those were broken up. "I don't know what to tell you anymore."

"That's okay," she reminded him gently.

"Doesn't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"Because I feel like I should have something to say. I should know what to say. And I don't. I'm more lost than I can ever remember being. And this is with your help and guidance."

"Is there something you can think of that we can do to possibly help you out?"

"I don't know if anything can right now, you know? I'd love to see some of my friends, but I haven't been here long enough to get privileges." She nodded. "I'm sure Nick would come, you know?"

"He sounds like a good friend."

"He is. Him and Grissom were the only two people who didn't hate me when I drove Mia away. Which was kind of surprising, because Warrick and Catherine never liked her that much. At least, not that they ever showed. She was kind of hard to get along with. She'd been through a lot in her life, though, so it made things a lot harder. She's a sweet girl, though."

"I'm sure she is."

"I don't know if she'll ever forgive me, though. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but I don't know if she will."

"What makes you say that?"

"She doesn't forgive easily, you know? She's been burned a lot, so she doesn't just forgive and forget. I guess the fact that her father brainwashed me kinda would lean in my favor, but I don't know if that's enough. I really wish I hadn't screwed up that bad. I wish I could go back."

"You can always move forward."

"Yeah, but I don't think she'll still want me."

"You won't know until you try, Greg."

"I know, but with all due respect, you don't know her."

"You're right. I've never met her. But if she loved you and trusted you as much as you've told me that she did, she'll come back to you."

"Again, you don't know her."

"I have a good idea about her from some of your stories." He sighed, shrugging.

"You probably do. And maybe you're right, but from where I'm sitting and what I know, I think you're wrong." She nodded, taking a few notes.

"You still love her, right?"

"Yes. And I probably always will, because even when I hated her, I still loved her."

"I see."

"That's why losing her hurts so much."

* * *

Nick stretched on the armchair, shifting as he shook off the sleep. His gaze averted to the couch, where Mia was curled up. She had yet to find her own apartment out here, and rather than wasting all of her money on a hotel room, Nick had offered up his place for her to stay for a while. The two of them had fallen asleep watching a movie.

Nick stood up slowly, quietly stretching his taut limbs. As comfortable as his armchair was, sleeping in it was never a good idea. Mia would probably be even worse off, being that his couch was lumpy and older than he could remember. He walked over to the couch, covering Mia with the blanket hanging on the back of it. She muttered words of thanks in her sleep, and he smiled softly.

He walked to the window, staring out as the sun rose above the horizon. Since they had the night off, the two of them had decided to try a movie marathon. They had made it through "The Departed" and were starting "The Boondock Saints" when they had fallen asleep. Now, his TV displayed the menu screen, and he watched as one of his neighbors rode by on their bicycle.

Never did he think that Mia would actually listen to him. He thought for certain that no matter what he said, she'd never come back to Vegas. Never in a million years. Yet, here she was, sleeping on his couch until she got a more permanent place to stay. The thought excited him as much as it cut him. The only reason she was here was because Greg needed her. Chances were, she didn't care about the rest of them. Nick supposed that in the end, it would be something he could live with, but it sucked right now.

She began to stir on the couch behind him, and he turned in her direction. When she simply shifted her position and fell back asleep, he sighed. Another thing he never thought would happen would be the two of them coexisting under the same roof in a friendly manner. The day he first met her, almost two years ago, he thought she was the biggest bitch he'd ever met. She was rude, inconsiderate, and someone he could never see himself getting along with. And now, he couldn't imagine her not being around. She had become a good friend to him, someone he deeply cared about.

"Stop staring at me," she muttered in her sleep. Nick arched his eyebrows, wondering if Mia was actually awake and watching him, or if she was dreaming. When he saw her swatting at the air, he knew she was dreaming.

"Mia, no one's there," he replied quietly.

"Get away from me."

"I'm across the room."

"Stop touching me! Please, stop!" Nick knit his brow together, wondering what she was dreaming about. "Don't!"

"Mia, wake up," he said, moving forward toward her. From where he stood, he could see her shaking.

"No," she whined to her internal demons.

"Mia, honey, wake up." Nick reached out from a distance, touching her shoulder gently. She whined, swatting at him and missing. "Mia, it's okay, you're safe. Please, just wake up." He shook her gently, and she snapped awake.

"Holy fuck." She sat up quickly, realizing where she was and what had just happened. She took a deep breath, calming herself almost instantly.

"You okay?" he asked, voice full of concern. She sighed, nodding. "Nightmare?" She nodded again.

"Hodges," she told him softly. He nodded his understanding, sitting next to her.

"How often do you have nightmares about that?"

"I usually don't. I honestly haven't had one in a while. Just, I guess, the stress of everything and being back here probably triggered one, you know?" He nodded empathetically.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, fine." He rubbed her shoulder tenderly, and she gave him a small smile.

"C'mon, let's have some breakfast." She nodded, standing and walking with him into the kitchen.

* * *

"It's got a great view of the city," the landlord said, looking at her clients. Mia turned her head to Nick with a sadistic smirk.

"I already have a view of the city, and no matter where I live, it ain't ever gonna be a good one," Mia replied. Nick chuckled.

"It's a safe neighborhood, and we have top notch security here."

"I don't think I've ever been called out here before," Nick whispered to Mia, who nodded.

"We have an opening- two bedrooms, one bath, decent size," the landlord continued. "Would you like to see it?"

"Sure," Mia said. The woman smiled, grabbing her keys to the apartment and walking out. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Edna Smithson."

"Right. Miss Smithson, I was wondering, do you allow pets on your property?" She smiled.

"I do. As long as you clean up after them and no one around you complains."

"Great." Mia smiled at Nick, who shook his head. They walked into the spacious, unfurnished apartment, and Mia walked around. "It's nice."

"Yes, it is. It's perfect for a couple just starting out." Mia smiled sweetly at Nick, who figured out where she was going.

"Yeah, it sure is. What do you think, honey?" Nick shrugged.

"I like whatever you like, Buttercup," he said, smiling. Edna smiled at their interaction.

"Look, I'll let you kids explore, and you can fill out the paperwork when you're ready, okay? I'll just leave it here with you." Mia smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Miss Smithson," she said.

"No problem." Edna walked close to Mia and whispered. "You got a good one there. Don't let him go." Mia smiled.

"I don't plan on it." Edna winked and left the two of them alone in the apartment. Nick shook his head.

"Every place we go, they think we're buyin' this together," he said.

"That's what happens when two unrelated people of opposite genders go apartment hunting. So, were you serious when you said you'd never had a callout here?"

"Somewhat. I think the only thing I've ever been here for was a domestic dispute gone bad." She nodded, looking around. "You like it?"

"It's a lot better than my last place out here."

"Yeah, true. Can you afford it, though?"

"It's still in my price range. Plus, I still have an account with all the money I got after my mom and Fred died." Nick's eyebrows arched up.

"How much is in there?" Mia shrugged.

"I could probably buy three houses, two cars, a pony, a stable, employ an entire cleaning crew, and put four kids through private schooling and college." He shook his head.

"What the hell did your mom do for a living?"

"She was a musician. Very famous. Everyone in LA knew who she was. And Fred was a major music producer. Hence how they met. She was to inherit everything when he died, and everything of hers went to me, so his money went to me as well." He nodded.

"So, why are you renting an apartment if you're rich enough to have a house?"

"Because I'm one person. I don't need a big place." He nodded again, walking around.

"Well, I think this place screams you. I assume you're just gonna bring your stuff out from LA." She shook her head.

"Nothing left to bring out." He furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"My landlord called me after I left. My apartment burned when my neighbor set their apartment on fire."

"Why would they do that?"

"She was trying to kill her husband," Mia explained. "No one could figure out why or what he'd done, but she'd been trying to kill him for months."

"And she was never arrested because…?" Nick said.

"He refused to press charges."

"So, did she succeed that time?"

"Only in burning down the complex. He woke up before he died. She forgot the sleeping pills." He looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"She forgot the sleeping pills?"

"She thought he would sleep until he died. If she had drugged him, he would've. Hence, she forgot the sleeping pills. Anyway, she's in jail now, but all the stuff I had in the apartment is gone."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. Anything I had that was important to me, I kept in a secure storage unit after meeting her." He chuckled. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she turned to arson. So all my pictures, memories, are all in another place." He nodded.

"Good thinking."

"I'm very good at reading people."

"I've noticed." She sighed, biting her lip in thought.

"I think this is the place." He nodded, watching her. "I think you're going to help me paint it, though." He chuckled.

"Whatever, kid." He hugged her around the shoulders, and she swatted at him playfully. He squeezed her closer, and she laughed, wriggling free from his grasp and filling out the paperwork.

* * *

"So, now I can finally stop sleeping on your couch," Mia joked, looking at Nick. He scowled.

"I thought you liked my couch," he replied.

"It's like sleeping on a sack of rocks." He laughed.

"Yeah, I need to get a new one."

"And soon."

"I usually don't have people sleeping on it, you know." She chuckled.

"True, true."

"So, now what?"

"Time to get some furniture, paint, décor… I don't wanna be living in your house forever."

"I know. I don't want you living in my house forever." She chuckled.

"You'll miss my cooking. Everyone always does."

"You do cook very well." She smiled.

"Yes, I do. I learned how to cook at boarding school in Italy. No one cooks better than the Italians, and they taught us just about everything."

"They let you guys help out in the kitchen at a very young age, didn't they?"

"Only those of us with a lot of discipline, like me."

"Some how, I don't see much discipline when I look at you. No offense." She laughed.

"None taken," she told him. "I've become worse."

"I see," he said.

"I was a good little girl. I changed when I grew up. I used to do everything asked of me, though, without a question. And I would only do what was asked unless I knew there was no way anyone could yell at me for doing it. I had a lot of self control."

"Pity you lost that." She shrugged.

"Not really. It's a lot more liberating."

"More deadly, too."

"Well, yeah, but that comes with the territory." He shook his head.

"You are an odd person." She smiled.

"Thank you. So, shall we go furniture shopping now? Otherwise, Edna's gonna wonder whether or not we're moving in." He laughed.

"I swear, she's convinced we're getting married." Mia laughed, nodding.

"It's okay, though," she said. "Everyone else thought that too."

"I didn't notice," he told her honestly. "She was more overt about it."

"Definitely."


	3. First Visit

A/N: I know, it's been awhile, and I apologize. Work got in the way, massively. Anyway, I still don't own anyone or anything but Mia and the doctor. In this chapter, Nick visits Greg at the hospital, so enjoy, and please review!

* * *

Chapter 2: First Visits

"How are you feeling today?" she asked. He shrugged, much like he always does.

"Nervous," he replied. "A little anxious."

"Tell me about it."

"Nick's coming today. He told me last night that he'd be here, alone. It's the first time anyone's seen me since I came in here. First time I've really talked to him. He's gonna wanna know how I'm doing, and I'm not too sure."

"How do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm okay… maybe. Not ready to leave. I think I still have more issues to work out. I mean, I tried to kill myself. I had an issue with alcohol, trying to use it as a crutch. I have depression. I have anxiety disorder. And we haven't really done much work on those."

"What would you like us to go over before you feel like you're ready to leave?"

"All that stuff? I want my life back. It's too much. I should've stayed in the lab, should've stayed naïve, should've saved Sara's life, should've never fallen in love with Mia… I should've done a whole bunch of things different."

"What makes you feel that way?" He sighs.

"I don't know. I just think that if I hadn't done any of that, I wouldn't have gotten like this. I would've been better. I don't even know how I got here. I don't like drinking. I don't use alcohol as a crutch. When I went through everything that happened with Demitrius James, I didn't touch alcohol."

"What did you do instead?"

"I… talked to my friends. They didn't understand, and it was frustrating, but they'd at least listen. They were there for me."

"What makes this time different?"

"Catherine and Warrick hate me. Grissom's indifferent, as he always is, and Nick was there. But I needed more that just one person behind me. More than one person keeping me up. I lost Catherine and Warrick's backing. I disappointed them. And Grissom… I needed to know that he cared. I mean, I guess he did and always does, but he's like the Tin Man. You never see it. You know it's there, but you need to feel it. Like air. It's always there, but you never feel it until the wind blows, and sometimes, you need to feel it to know it's there, you know?"

"Yes."

"And, well, I don't really know anymore."

"What do you feel like you need today?"

"Nothing. I think I'll be okay." She nodded.

"You've come a long way, Greg. Last week, when you first came in, you were trying to kill yourself. You wouldn't talk to anyone beyond saying that you needed help. You spent hours to yourself. And now, you're interacting with others, you're going to group activities, you're a lot more open. You've detoxed. We still have a few things to work on, as you've noticed, but you've become more aware of yourself and what's going on with you. You're doing great, Greg." He nodded, giving a small smile. "Let me know if you need anything else today. We'll talk again later, after Nick leaves." He nodded again. "Have a good day, Greg."

"You too," he replied quietly, watching her leave.

* * *

"Welcome to the unit," the nurse said. Nick smiled slightly.

"Thanks," he replied. "I'm here to see Greg Sanders." She looked at a list in front of her.

"Nick Stokes?"

"Yes, ma'am." She nodded.

"Keep all things on your person on your person. Don't give anything to the patients. If you encounter a situation where another patient becomes violent toward you, call for help, don't try to get them down yourself. Some patients don't react well to other people right away, so try to stay away from them. We have them in separate rooms, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll walk you down to Greg." Nick nodded, quiet. They found Greg in the day room, and she cleared her throat. "Here you are. If you need anything, give us a call."

"Thanks." She walked away wordlessly, and Nick walked over to Greg. "Hey, kid," he said softly. Greg looked up, smiling.

"Hey," he replied, hugging Nick tightly.

"You look good."

"Thanks. I feel pretty good." They sat down, neither sure what to say just yet. "So, how's things?"

"Same old stuff. Grissom's Grissom, Catherine and Warrick are worried about you."

"Really? I thought they were mad at me."

"They're capable of forgiving and forgetting." Greg nodded, quiet. "I don't know how you're going to take this, but I feel like I gotta tell you anyway." Greg sat up straighter, looking at Nick. "Mia's back here in Vegas."

"Really?" Greg asked, astonished. Nick nodded. "How long's she been here?"

"Few days."

"How long she staying?"

"She moved back, Greg. Got a new apartment, moving stuff in, everything. It's the real deal." Greg leaned back, thinking. "She's back at work in the lab. She's here for the long term."

"Why?"

"I don't know. She said she missed it here, missed us, and wanted to come back."

"What about me?"

"She still cares about you, Greg. She loved you. That doesn't just go away."

"I was an asshole to her. If she still loves me, I don't see how."

"Even she's capable of forgiving and forgetting." Greg nodded quietly.

"Do you think she'd come see me?"

"I don't know, but I can ask her." Greg nodded. "Do you want me to?"

"I don't know, maybe. So, what else is going on? Anything? How's Mikayla?"

"She's fine, and so is her daughter, Hailey. She called me last night, checking in." Greg nodded.

"She working at the lab still?" he asked. Nick smiled.

"Yeah, for now," Nick replied. "Until she can get something better and can get some college in, you know?"

"Yeah. She taking night classes or day classes?"

"Day classes, working nights around the lab as a go-fer. I watch Hailey while Mikayla's in class, and Hailey chills in the lab at night, since Mik's just runnin' around."

"That's good that Ecklie lets her do that."

"Yeah, they came to an understanding about that." Nick relaxed, and Greg looked over at him.

"I'm sorry, Nick," Greg said softly. Nick looked back at him.

"For what?" Nick replied.

"Everything, this." Nick shook his head.

"Nothing to be sorry about, man." Greg sighed.

"I feel like there is." Nick shrugged.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Actually, I commend you. Not many people would take that first initial step to get help by themselves. You did. I'm proud of you."

"How proud of you are me for finding me with a gun in my mouth?" Nick sighed, closing his eyes.

"Let's not talk about that."

"Why not?"

"I really don't want to go back to that day, Greg. You know?" Greg nodded, sighing.

"And for that, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do. Look at what I've done to you, Nick. To all you guys."

"It's okay. You're getting help, getting better. That's what matters." Greg rolled his eyes.

"You don't get it," he said. Nick furrowed his brow.

"Don't get what?" he asked.

"You tell me that me getting help is what matters. What about what I did? Doesn't that matter?"

"Of course it matters, Greg."

"So why aren't we talking about that? Why are we avoiding the issue? I hurt you, her, and everyone else who loves me. Why are we just sitting here, pretending that we're out getting coffee or breakfast after work?"

"Is that what you think's going on?"

"Seems like it."

"That's not the case here, Greg."

"Why don't you tell me what you see here, Nick. Explain it to me."

"We're talking."

"About? Anything important, or stuff we'd talk about any day? Any where?" Nick hesitated, and Greg nodded. "Exactly. We're talking about the same stuff that we talk about every day."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Something that matters." Nick didn't say anything, and for a while, neither did Greg. Finally, Greg sighed and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said.

"About what?" Nick asked.

"Yelling at you, fighting with you. I don't mean to. I know you mean well and that you're trying to protect me from myself. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Both men fell silent, unsure of what to say, and leaving at that.


	4. Happy 28th Birthday, Darling

A/N: I still don't own CSI, CBS, or any other known entity. Mia and the doctor are mine, though. And Mia's fun. :D Anyway, in this chapter, Ryan Wolfe makes a cameo again, and he's from Miami, not me. Also, Mia's ringtone is "Sleepwalker" by The Wallflowers, which I don't own. Mia's turning 28... so I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please please please review.

* * *

Chapter 3: Happy 28th Birthday, Darling

"You seem different today." He shrugged.

"I seem different every day."

"You seem like you're regressing," she clarified.

"Can't help it," he replied.

"What's going on?"

"Today's her birthday." She nodded.

"How old is she?"

"28, I think. I always thought it was ironic she was born on Valentine's day, considering the life she had." He sighed. "I know it's strange, but I wrote her a letter. Sent it home with Nick the other day."

"It's not that strange, Greg."

"Yeah, I guess. I want to make amends, you know? I don't know if she'll see me or if she'll even read it, but I felt like I had to do it."

"It's a start, Greg. You're confronting your feelings, and that's a good thing." He nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying to make things better, but I don't know that I can."

"It takes time, Greg."

"Yeah, I know. Rome wasn't built in a day. I'm doing good, though. I swear. I'm not in a bad place or anything. Just, contemplative." She nodded.

"Good to know. I'll stop by again later, Greg. Take care today."

"Will do. See you later."

* * *

_Maybe I could be the one they adore, that could be my reputation. It's where I'm from that lets them think I'm a whore. I'm an educated virgin…_

Mia groaned as her phone rang. Snatching it off her nightstand, she answered it gruffly. "I'm going to kill you, Nick," she said.

"No you aren't," he replied.

"It's early."

"Honey, it's noon."

"After I went to bed at 7. What do you want?"

"Open the door. I brought you some stuff." She sighed, pulling herself out of bed.

"Why?"

"Because it's Valentine's day, which also happens to be your birthday, my dear."

"So? I don't care."

"Humor me, then. You only turn 28 once."

"Remind me to tell Grissom to hide my personnel file better." She heard Nick chuckle through the door as she unlocked it.

"Wasn't Grissom who told me." She opened the door for Nick, who hung up and handed her a large cup. "Caramel iced latte with sugar, just like you like it." She smiled.

"Thanks, Nick." She stepped back, allowing him to enter.

"Not a problem," he said. "So, I brought you breakfast, and I was thinking that since we both had the night off, I'd take you out for dinner." She arched her eyebrows.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Does this mean I'm gonna have to do shit like this on your birthday?" He laughed.

"I'd never expect that from you. Besides, you already have done stuff for me on my birthday." She shrugged as she finally noticed the bags in his hands. "What'd you get?"

"I told you, breakfast. Figured I'd eat with you."

"From?"

"Frank's. Got you pancakes and sausage, because I know that's what you like." She smiled.

"I like bacon too, you know." He shrugged.

"That'll be your 29th birthday," he said, causing her to laugh.

"You're crazy, Nick Stokes," she said.

"Yeah, I must be to be friends with you."

"That's what I've been telling you all along." He laughed while he grabbed silverware. "I hope you're doing the dishes after while I take a shower."

"That's what I planned on." She smiled. "Then after, I think Wendy's got plans for you."

"Yeah, she does. She's taking me to the spa for the afternoon."

"Yeah, she told me. I was plannin' on doin' somethin' else, but whatever."

"You're odd, you know that?" He laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." They sat down at breakfast, and she noticed the card sitting next to the bags.

"What's this?" Mia asked, looking closely at it and finding her name on it.

"It's a card," Nick replied, swallowing his mouthful of eggs. "It's from Greg." He watched her stiffen slightly.

"Oh."

"He wanted me to give it to you on your birthday when I saw him last week." She nodded as he passed it over to her. "He wanted to say happy birthday and say some other things, but wasn't sure how it would go over. He thought doing this would be best, you know? That way there, you could open it and look at it when you're ready." She nodded again, not saying anything.

"Thanks for playing messenger," she said softly. He nodded.

"You're welcome," he told her. He watched her stare at the card as she picked at her food. "Hey, don't be down, okay? It's your birthday." She smiled slightly.

"I'm not down. I'm just thinking is all. I miss him."

"Go see him."

"Does he even want to see me?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"I have to call ahead, don't I?"

"Yeah." She nodded again.

"We'll see. I mean, I have no problem going, but…"

"You do. Crazy people make you feel crazy and all that." She chuckled.

"I guess you could say that. You could also say that it's because I don't want to see him like that. I hate any hospital, but especially psych hospitals. I never told you that when I was in foster care, one of my foster siblings ended up in a psych hospital."

"No, you didn't," Nick said, putting down the fork and looking at her. Mia half-smiled.

"She was a sweetheart," she said. "She was older than me, always looking out for me, but she was having issues, really severe ones. So one day I came home, found her wasted. This became pretty regular, and so our foster parents sent her away. I was sent away shortly after. Never really found out what happened to her, don't know when she got out, but I do remember going and seeing her once. Scared the hell out of me." Nick grabbed her hand gently, and she smiled lightly. "Oh, well. Doesn't matter now. It's my birthday, let's move on to happy." He nodded, and they finished breakfast.

"I'll clean up," he said. "Take a shower before Wendy gets here."

"I don't know why it matters," she said. "We're going to the spa. I'm only gonna have to shower after too."

"I don't know either. I already talked to Wendy. I'm picking you up here at 7 for dinner, okay?"

"Okay, great." She hugged him gently. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Not a problem." She smiled, walking up stairs. Nick turned to the dishes they had generated, cleaning them quickly.

* * *

"Girl, get your ass down here!" Wendy called. Nick chuckled from the couch.

"Remember, bring her back here by six," he said quietly. "And help her pick out something fitting?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. I like this game." Mia walked down the hallway, effectively ending their conversation. Nick smiled at her.

"Alright, ladies, enjoy your afternoon. I'll catch up with you later."

"Later, Nick," Mia said. He walked out the door, and Wendy turned to Mia.

"He's cute," she said.

"Not my type," Mia replied.

"Why not?"

"He's too dense." Wendy laughed, throwing her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"I thought you liked that."

"As a friend and pseudo-brother, yes. As a romantic interest, no. That's why I love Greg, you know? He can always read me, and while that bothers me sometimes, it's helpful."

"Nick can read you too, you know."

"Yeah, but not the way Greg can." Wendy shrugged.

"Who can do things the way Greg can?" Mia chuckled.

"Touché. So, tell me what's on the schedule."

"Manis, pedis, and massages, but that only takes us until about 4, so I was thinking a mall trip after? Get you something nice to wear to dinner with Nick tonight?"

"So you know where he's taking me then, huh?"

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to tell you."

"Just allowed to dress me."

"Exactly." Mia shrugged.

"Whatever. It's Nick." Wendy laughed.

"Exactly," she repeated. The two of them walked out the door and headed to Wendy's car for a relaxing day at the spa.

* * *

"So, did I tell you that Nick was playing messenger?" Mia said as her and Wendy walked into Mackenzie's Boutique.

"No," Wendy said, guiding Mia to the evening gown dress section.

"Wait, hold up. I have to get really dressed up for this?"

"Yes, dear."

"Damn. Where the hell is he taking me? To the prom?" Wendy laughed.

"I don't know. He just told me to have you pick out a nice dress." Mia sighed.

"I hate this kid so much."

"No, you don't. Now, tell me, messenger for who?"

"Greg."

"Really? Girl, you've been holding out on me!" Mia laughed.

"Slightly, yes." She picked a dress off the rack, and Wendy shook her head.

"No. Nick said something about there having to be color, no black, white, silver, or gold."

"So he wants me wearing something obnoxious. Okay." Mia picked up the most ugly dress she could find- a puffy lime green and pink dress. "Here we go." Wendy laughed.

"If you wanna look like that going out, sure." Mia frowned, and Wendy picked up a deep red dress trimmed with rhinestones. "How about this one?"

"Possibility," Mia said, taking it from her. She picked up a simple, coral colored dress.

"That may bleach you out," Wendy said.

"Didn't for Senior Prom." Wendy shrugged.

"Whatever. So, tell me, what did Greg say?"

"Nothing, really. He had Nick give me a card from him."

"Did you open it?" Mia shrugged.

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm scared to."

"Girl, the second we get home, you're opening that card and finding out what he has to say." Mia shook her head.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because one of two things is going to happen. He's either going to be a bastard because of what my father did, or he's going to apologize for everything, and I'm going to believe him."

"Is that so bad?" Mia shrugged as she fingered a dark green silky dress.

"I don't know. I mean, I do still love him, a lot." She took the dress off the rack, adding it to her pile as Wendy started picking out dresses as well. "He's funny and cute and just a really sweet guy. And, like I said earlier, he can read me so well, and I really like that. But, at the same time, what if he still actually believes what my father said?"

"I don't think he does," Wendy said.

"How do you know?" Mia inquired, looking over a big blue dress at her. Wendy shrugged, picking up a black dress. "I thought Nick said no black."

"Honey, these are for me and my date tonight." Mia chuckled as Wendy winked. "I don't know, Mia. Something about the way he reacted when you left made me think that he never truly believed it. You'd be gone from the room, and it was like he didn't know what had just happened. This was before you left. When you did, he went off the deep end. I've never seen him that bad. I was surprised it took him seven months to end up in the hospital, the way he was going."

"He's stubborn and proud."

"Sounds like someone else I know." Mia snorted.

"Point taken," she said.

"Good girl," Wendy replied lightly. "Now, are you going to talk to that boy or what?"

"I told Nick earlier I'd think about going to see him. He knows I'm back in Vegas. He knew Nick was in touch with me too. So when he wrote the letter/card/whatever, he knew that if he gave it to Nick, Nick would make sure I got it."

"That's good. I think you should read it." Mia shrugged, adding a shimmery, dark blue dress to the mix.

"I will, later." The two of them headed into the dressing room. "For now, let's find something I look good in."

* * *

After settling on a dress, Mia headed back to her place with Wendy. "Now, am I getting ready alone, or…?" Mia asked.

"Sorry, girl," Wendy said. "I gotta head home and get ready for my own night." She held up the black dress she had picked out that was trimmed with pink silk ribbon and studded with pink rhinestones on the outer layer of black lace. Mia smiled.

"That one really does look good on you."

"Yeah, I know. I gotta go, though. I'll see you later."

"Later, Wendy, and thanks for today."

"No problem. Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Mia got out of the car, walking up the steps to her apartment. She pulled out her keys, opening the door as her cellphone rang. "Salvatori," she answered.

"Oh, and don't forget to open that card!" Wendy said. Mia laughed. "I got you home early so you could!"

"I thought that was so I'd have plenty of time to get ready." Wendy laughed.

"Nope. Read it."

"Okay, okay, I will, and then I'll report to you later."

"Okay. See you later, girl."

"Later, Fruitcake." Mia hung up, putting her phone down on the table as she walked over to where she had left the card. She looked at the clock, which read 5:30. She had plenty of time. She sighed, opening the card and bringing it with her as she took the dress into her room.

_Mia_, it read. _I know this is probably the last thing you expected from me, given that the last time I said anything to you, I said… well, you know what I said, and I'd rather not rehash that. I've been thinking a lot… kind of the consequence of being in a psychiatric hospital, but anyway… I really miss you. I never meant to hurt you, but I know that's all I did. I realized too late what I was doing to you. By the time I realized you weren't lying and that you had nothing to do with it, you were already gone. I guess I owe Grissom a bit for setting me straight, but that's another story._

_I guess this is really the only way I have of communicating with you right now, letters through Nick, but I know I caused this. I'm not sure where you are right now, because Nick's being really cryptic about it, but I'm sure by the time you read this, you'll know where I am. How I got here. I'm stupid, Mia. Really, really stupid. I see that so much now._

_Part of me always believed you didn't have anything to do with it. Part of me was rational, knew you loved me, knew there was no way you really had anything to do with it. But the rest believed the irrational lies. I guess that I was scared. Your father tortured me, and the only way to make him stop was usually to play along with his lies. After a while, I was conditioned. I believed it._

_I know this doesn't make up for what I did. This doesn't make anything better, and I know that. I'd be surprised if you ever talk to me again, after what I did to you. I was horrible. I hurt you. I know how hard it is for you to trust someone, let alone fall in love with someone, and yet you did both with me. And I hurt you._

_That's why I tried to kill myself, why I felt I had nothing left to live for. I felt that I didn't deserve to live after what I did to you. I've never told anyone but my therapist that, though. It's hard to admit, somewhat. I guess some of what made that so easy was that I had no one to talk to, no one to tell me that I was flawed with even that thinking. If hearing about me trying to kill myself hurt you too, then I'm even more sorry. I really never did mean to hurt you._

_I guess when it comes down to it, I hope you'll forgive me, but know that I'll completely understand if you don't. I still love you more than life itself, and while that might be hard for you to read/hear, I mean it with my entire heart. Even when it seemed like I hated you, I still loved you, and I probably always will. So, I'll end this by saying that I hope you have a great birthday, a better Valentine's day, and I hope you're happy._

_Love,_

_Greg_

Mia inhaled deeply, sitting down on the couch. She sniffled back the tears that had come to her eyes with Greg's letter. She shook her head, sniffling again. His words had touched her, and affirmed most of what she had been thinking and feeling. She still loved him deeply, and probably always would, but at this moment, she wasn't sure how to go about reconnecting with him. She took a shaky breath as her tears began falling. She wasn't sure where exactly the tears were coming from or why. She couldn't tell if it was happiness, sadness, comfort, being touched, or something else, but she welcomed them anyway. She sniffled, allowing herself the moment to cry before looking up at the clock. 6:15. She needed to go get ready. She tried her face, putting the card and letter on the table before picking up her dress and walking down the hall. She had a dinner to get ready for.

* * *

"C'mon Mia," Nick called impatiently from down the hall. He had walked in just a few moments ago, her being to busy getting ready to open the door for him.

"Hold your horses, Fatass," she replied, aggravated. "Girls take longer to get ready."

"I thought you being back by 6 would be enough time."

"Would've if I didn't get distracted by something else."

"What the hell distracted you?" He heard her snort loudly in the other room.

"A promise." He shook his head.

"What the hell did Wendy make you promise to do?"

"Read Greg's letter." Nick nodded to himself, looking at the clock. 7:10.

"That good, huh?"

"Let's not talk about this please. Otherwise, I'm gonna take longer."

"Alright, alright. Subject dropped. Are you ready yet?"

"God, you're impatient."

"We have reservations, dear."

"They'll keep, Fucker." He chuckled.

"Nice talk."

"Well, stop rushing me on my birthday."

"I'm sorry." She walked into the room finally, and Nick took in her appearance. She had settled on a dark teal, satin dress, trimmed with off-white pearls around the top edge and with the same pearls used on the straps. The dress dipped low in the back, and the back was tied up with a sash that matched the dress in material and color. The loops that the sash went through to tie up the back were adorned with the same color pearls as the trim of the dress. She wore a string of matching pearls around her neck and small ones studded in her ears. Her hair hung in loose curls around her face, making her look more like an angel than he'd ever seen and taking his breath away. "You look great," he said after a moment.

"Thanks," she said nervously.

"You really do. Now, let's get going because we're already late." She shook her head.

"You clearly don't like this look I have going on."

"Hey, you still love Greg and I'm just taking you out for your birthday."

"Ouch, Bastard."

"Love you too, Bitch." He opened the door for her, leading her outside to the limo waiting for them.

"You know, I hate you for this."

"No, you don't."

"Nick, this is way too much." He chuckled as the driver opened the door for them.

"You have no idea, princess, so just enjoy the night." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'll explain later." She frowned, and he laughed. "Babe, that ain't gonna work on me."

"Damn." She closed her eyes for a moment. "So, where are we going?" He smiled.

"Don't worry about that." He handed her a glass of champagne. "Just enjoy this for now." She arched her eyebrows.

"I thought we had a strict love/hate sibling relationship."

"We do," he said.

"Alright. Just wanted to make sure." He chuckled.

"Okay." He held up his glass. "Congrats on managing to stay alive for another whole year." She laughed at his mock toast.

"Thanks, Fuckhead." They clinked glasses, and each took a drink. "This is good champagne."

"I know." They pulled up outside the Rampart, and she looked at him critically.

"A casino?" she asked.

"Just trust me," he replied. She shrugged.

"You know I do." The driver opened the door, and Nick slid out first before extending his hand back in. Mia took his hand gently, sliding out after him. "So, are you going to tell me what this is about yet?" He smiled.

"You remember talking to Mikayla about sweet sixteen parties?" She furrowed her brow.

"No, not really."

"The two of you were watching 'My Super Sweet Sixteen,' and it caused you guys to talk about your own 16th birthdays. Of course, my little sister had a big party, because Grandma and Grandpa can afford for that, as could Gen and her husband." Mia suddenly realized what he was getting at.

"And I had mentioned that I didn't have a sweet sixteen party, because no one cared," she said. "So, is this to make up for it?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"You are incredible, you know that? You're going through all this trouble for someone that constantly berates you. I can only imagine what you'd do for the woman you loved." He smiled.

"Hon, this wasn't just me. It was my idea, but I'd be lying if I took all the credit for this." They walked into the ballroom, where Mia's friends and colleagues all welcomed her with a loud "Happy birthday!"

"I didn't even know I had this many friends," she remarked to Nick.

"Well, Wendy helped out a lot with that," he said. "Plus, everyone was told to bring someone."

"And, let me guess, Catherine secured the location." He nodded. "Nick, this is amazing. Thank you. All of you." He smiled.

"You're welcome, Mia. Welcome back."

"Thanks." She walked around, mingling with the other guests before running over to Catherine and Warrick. "Guys, you have no idea how much this means to me," she began. "Thanks so much."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Catherine said, hugging her. "You look amazing."

"Thanks. So do you." They chatted amicably until Wendy walked over.

"Hey girl," she said.

"Yeah, other date my ass," Mia remarked as she noticed Wendy was wearing the dress she had bought earlier with her. Wendy chuckled.

"He's here. He's just talking to Dave."

"Dave the coroner?" Wendy nodded. "Interesting."

"Well, apparently, they went to school together."

"Small world."

"True, true."

"So, you knew about this all along, and you didn't tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you along with the rest of them." Mia sighed, shaking her head.

"You would." Wendy smiled.

"Happy birthday, Mia."

"Thank you." Mia walked away as a slow song played over the stereo and everyone picked someone to dance with. She was about to walk to the side when Grissom grabbed her by the hand.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey boss," she replied warmly.

"Let's dance." She looked confused for a moment before shrugging.

"Whatever. I'm slightly drunk, so I'm down for anything." Grissom chuckled.

"Same here." She laughed as he put his hand on her side and used his other to hold hers. She wrapped an arm around his waist.

"So, tell me something," she said. "What was your part in all of this?"

"I got everyone the night off," he replied. She nodded.

"I'm kinda buzzed, so I'm gonna be honest here. This has got to be the best birthday I've ever had. I don't remember ever being surrounded by people I considered family on my birthday. I was always away at boarding school, or was with my foster siblings, or was with a bunch of strangers. Something about being here in Vegas, though… I don't know. I consider you guys my family. This is my home."

"Yeah, we feel the same about you." She smiled at that. "Even if you are difficult." She laughed.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Honestly, Mia, I wanted to thank you a little bit." She arched her eyebrows.

"Thank me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because when most people backed off and let me do my thing after Sara died, you were the one person who pushed me to be open and talk about things. Everyone else didn't want to hurt me, and you didn't care."

"Griss, I've been there before. I know how death can tear someone apart if they don't talk about it. That's why I didn't want that to happen to you."

"Yeah, I know." She felt him relax a little more, which made her smile.

"Talking about that made you nervous, huh?" He nodded, which made her chuckle. "It's okay."

"Yeah." The song ended, and she smiled.

"Thanks for the dance, Grissom."

"You're welcome. Happy birthday, Mia."

"Thanks." He hugged her gently before walking away. She continued chatting with others, dancing, and having a good time before finally breaking off to the side. She found herself frowning slightly, wishing that Greg was there too. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and she looked up.

"Hey," Ryan said. She shook her head.

"You were the last person I expected to be here," she replied, hugging him anyway. He laughed.

"Yeah, well, apparently, I'm dating your foster sister." She laughed.

"Yeah, you would." She bit her bottom lip, and he looked sympathetic.

"You okay?" She forced a smile.

"Yeah, fine." He nodded, knowing it wasn't true, but going along with it. "You should get back to your girlfriend before she gets the wrong idea." He nodded, shrugging.

"Yeah, I guess. Good to see you again, good to see you changed. Take care of yourself, and happy birthday."

"Thanks, Ryan. Take care." He walked away, and she stayed slightly slumped against the wall as Nick walked up.

"Hey, Sunshine, why the clouds?" he asked softly. She shrugged.

"I just wish Greg was here," she replied. He frowned.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's stupid, really. I read his letter, and now I can't get him off my mind, you know?" He smiled.

"He was always on your mind before you read his letter." She chuckled.

"True, but it's been worse since."

"Go see him."

"I don't know."

"At least pretend you will so I can shut up?" She chuckled again.

"Okay, fine." He smiled.

"Good. Now, push away the clouds, enjoy yourself, and let's dance." She smiled, nodding as he pulled her off the wall and back out onto the floor to enjoy the rest of the evening.


	5. Friendly Chats, and Helping Out

A/N: Still only own Mia and the doc. Everyone else belongs to CSI and CBS. Many thanks to KylieDaRock, my faithful reviewer on this story. :) It's much appreciated. This chapter puts us over halfway through the story, so I hope you enjoy, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 4: Friendly Chats, and Helping Out

"Morning," she said, smiling. He smiled back.

"Morning," he replied.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Pretty good, actually."

"That's good to hear. You made it through yesterday okay, I see."

"Yeah, I did." She smiled.

"That's great, Greg. I do have some news for you, though." He straightened up.

"Okay."

"She called this morning, about ten minutes ago, requesting to come by and see you. Said she read the card you gave her and that she wanted to come by. Are you feeling up to that?" He looked down, thinking.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that," he told her honestly. She smiled.

"Okay then," she said. "We'll give her a call back, set up an appointment." He smiled.

"Great."

"It's good to see you smile, Greg."

"Yeah. It's great to be happy like this. I feel like my life's kinda getting back on track, you know?" She nodded.

"You're doing a lot better than when you came in here."

"Yeah, I feel it. I think I'm almost ready to leave, you know?" She nodded again. "I mean, I wanna see my friends first, you know, kinda feel things out, but I think that I'm almost ready to get out of here and get back to life."

"Understandable. You came in here on your own accord, so you're able to leave on your own accord at any time. You know that." He nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't want to go before I'm ready. I'm not quite there yet." She nodded.

"Take your time. See how things go with Mia and decide after." He nodded.

"That's my plan."

"I'll check in with you later, Greg. Have a good day."

"You too."

* * *

"So, you never did tell me what the letter said," Wendy said, looking at Mia over the bench. Mia chuckled.

"You don't let things go easily, do you?" she replied.

"Well, I learn from the best. So spill."

"It basically was him apologizing for everything that he had done, explaining some things, you know."

"And…"

"And what?"

"Do you believe him?" Mia shrugged.

"I don't know. I think I would if I heard him say it in person, but from a letter, it's hard to tell."

"So go visit him."

"Already made an appointment. I'm heading there in a few days."

"That's great." Wendy smiled, and Mia sighed.

"Yeah."

"It isn't?"

"I don't know, Wendy. It is because I get to see him and I get Nick off my case about seeing him but… he said he still loves me."

"Why is this a problem? You still love him too."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't know if I can just run right back to him, you know? He did hurt me, broke my trust…"

"Sweetie, he was brainwashed."

"How do I know that he's not going to do it again?"

"Because I think the entire lab would kill him if he did." Mia chuckled. "Come on, even Warrick likes you now."

"He doesn't like me. He just gets along with me." Wendy chuckled.

"Bullshit, girl. He likes you."

"He might just like me because Cath likes me." She chuckled again.

"Who'd have thought that would happen, huh?" Mia laughed.

"Yeah, I know." Wendy watched her friend lean back slightly and close her eyes.

"Last night too much for you, old lady?" Mia laughed.

"Please. You're older than me." Wendy chuckled.

"True, true." Mia sighed.

"Long night, long day, you know. I still love him, Wendy."

"I know you do."

"I'm actually going to go see him, in a few days. I don't know. I'm nervous about that."

"Why?"

"Because, I haven't seen him since the day he told me that I should just go kill myself and get it over with." Wendy shrugged.

"He never truly believed that."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Yes, I do. Do you know how many times that boy was in here, upset? He never meant most of the things he said to hurt you. He just said them." Mia shook her head.

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Wendy. I guess I just need to wait and hear him out."

"Sadly enough, that's not something you would've said two years ago."

"Yeah, I know. I've changed."

"Greg had that effect on you." Mia shrugged.

"Him and the rest of the team," she said. Wendy smiled.

"So, we did make things better, huh?" she asked. Mia rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, kid."

"Whatever." Grissom walked in, smiling politely at the two of them.

"Mia, you, me, and Warrick have a case," he said. "Kidnap victim, female."

"Okay," she replied, getting up. Ryan walked into the lab.

"Mia," he said. She looked at him.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help." She closed her eyes, sighing.

"Janelle's the victim."

"You know her?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah," Mia replied. "She's my foster sister." Grissom watched her.

"I have to…"

"Grissom, please. I haven't had contact with her for years. It's been weird. I mean, I knew she was in Miami, but that was it. I had her number and address, but we didn't talk. Wendy got her to come out here to the party last night. I didn't see her, though."

"She was there," Ryan said. "Her and I left around 1:30, 2 o'clock. Then we went back to the hotel, slept. When I woke up, she had left a note, saying she'd be back around 7. She never showed up, but I got a text message saying they have her, they're going to kill her if I don't pay them."

"What do they want?" Mia asked.

"75,000 dollars."

"Damn."

"I came over here for help." They nodded, and Mia put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get her back, Ryan. It'll be okay." He nodded. Mia smiled softly, trying to instill hope in him.

"Where do we begin?"

"Ryan, I understand your desire, but this is a sensitive investigation. One misstep and we could lose everything. We can't afford to not be objective, okay?" Ryan nodded his understanding. "Now, when is the drop-off and where?"

"They didn't say. They said they'd contact me again later. They have my number as it is." Mia nodded, rubbing his shoulders.

"We'll find her, Ry. Everything's gonna be alright. Have you talked to H or Delko or anyone?" He shook his head. "Why don't you call them? Let them know what's going on. Give you someone to talk to that you trust, yeah?" He shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, having a friend to talk to."

"Yeah, you're right." Ryan sighed, and Grissom looked at Mia. She nodded, and he walked out, heading toward the layout room. Ryan excused himself, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Wendy looked at Mia, who shrugged.

"I always find trouble, huh?" Mia joked, shaking her head. "I'll catch ya later, Wendy."

"Later, hon," Wendy replied as she walked out.

* * *

"So, what exactly do we have for this case?" Warrick asked.

"A freaked out CSI and a text message," Mia said.

"Not much to go on."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Look, we're working with very little here. You mind not being a bitch?"

"You mind not wasting our time with statements of the obvious?"

"You two mind not fighting?" Grissom threw in. Both of them stopped and looked at him.

"Sorry," she said.

"Yeah, sorry," Warrick said.

"Now, we have a missing woman, age 24," Grissom said.

"She's a nurse," Mia said. "Last I checked, she was 5'6", 195 pounds, olive skin, black/brown hair, hazel eyes."

"You know her?" Warrick asked.

"Foster sibling."

"And you're still working this case because…?"

"We haven't talked in years. It doesn't matter." Warrick put his hand on her shoulder.

"If you need anything…"

"Rick, I appreciate it, but I'm fine." He nodded, and she gave him a small smile. "Now, she's pretty smart. And they need to keep her alive if they're ever going to get a ransom."

"Yeah. But how does knowing she's alive help us find her?"

"We need Ryan's cell phone," Grissom said.

"If we get the number, we can track them," Warrick said.

"I'm on it," Mia said, walking out of the room. Ryan caught her in the hallway.

"Hey," he said.

"Ry, we need your cell phone."

"Okay." He handed it to her, and she arched her eyebrows.

"You're not shocked by this?"

"You're tracking the number. I didn't think about it at first, but it makes sense now." She nodded, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Hang in there, kiddo." He nodded, and she walked away, walking into A/V. "Hey, Archie," she said.

"Hey," he said. "I didn't really see you last night, so happy birthday." She smiled.

"Thanks. Can you do me a favor? Try and track down this cell phone please?"

"Sure thing."

"You're awesome." She winked, and he typed in the number into the system.

"Okay, your number's not on right now, but we can turn it on remotely."

"Let's do that." Warrick and Grissom walked in as Archie typed in a few things in the computer. He hit a few more buttons, then looked up.

"Okay. We're on." After hitting a few more keys, he sighed. "Looks like we're in a building on Fremont Street. I'll get you a specific address."

"Awesome. You're amazing, Arch." Archie smiled as he hit a few more keys.

"Anyone else think this was way too easy?" Warrick asked.

"Hey, I'll take easy when I can get it," Mia said, shaking her head. "Besides, smart criminals would never kidnap a CSI's girlfriend." Warrick chuckled.

"Yeah, that's true." Archie handed them the address, and they left.

* * *

"LVPD!" Samuels called. "Open up!" They broke down the door, scouring the area. The suspect ran, leaving Janelle alone in the middle. Warrick, Mia, and Grissom trickled in as they grabbed the man trying to run. Mia walked up to him while Grissom headed over to Janelle and Warrick walked behind her.

"Tell me something," she said to the cuffed man.

"What's that?" he replied.

"Why?"

"Because of fucking Wolfe, man. Bastard arrested my brother. Had to fuckin' get him back." She shook her head.

"You're a sick fuck." She walked away, and Warrick put his hand on her shoulder.

"You did good," he said. She shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't about to kill him," she replied.

"Well, that's good." She looked over at him as he smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. I've changed. Have a good chuckle about that and move on."

"You know, sometimes I think you have, and others I see you haven't." She smiled.

"People never completely change, Warrick. They just simply shift."


	6. It's Been So Long

A/N: We're actually beginning to get closer to the end... only 2 chapters left after this one. Standard disclaimer: Don't own anyone but Mia and the doc. All others belong to CSI and CBS. Mia's coming to visit Greg... :) Enjoy, and please please please review.

* * *

Chapter 5: It's Been So Long

"How's it going, Greg?" she asked, in the same tone she always used. He smiled.

"It's okay," he replied. "I'm nervous."

"About…?"

"Seeing her again. She's coming today. I haven't seen her in months. I just hope she doesn't hate me."

"Do you think she does?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't blame her if she did. I was an asshole to her. I don't deserve her love. If she hates me, then that's okay. I'll deal with it. But, I don't know. I don't know if she could even love me after everything. What do you think?"

"This really isn't about me, Greg," she said gently.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "It's about me and what I feel and what I think, and you're not supposed to offer advice." She nodded, and he closed his eyes. "I think things'll be okay. I mean, she wouldn't come all the way down here just to be a bitch. That's not her style. So this is probably a good thing." She nodded again, and he smiled. "I'll be okay. I'm kind of excited and nervous at the same time. I'm anxious. She's really pretty and I really can't wait to see her." She smiled.

"Yeah, I can see that." He smiled. "She's coming in soon, so I'll leave you for now. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"Have a good day, Greg."

"You too."

* * *

Mia inhaled deeply as she made her way to the nurse's station. A nurse smiled at her sweetly. "Welcome," she said.

"Thanks," Mia replied. This was not how Nick described things. "I'm here for Greg Sanders. I'm Mia Salvatori." The woman checked the list.

"Okay, Miss Salvatori. If you would follow me please." She gave Mia the same rundown that the other nurse gave Nick, and Mia nodded. "If you need anything, let one of us know."

"Okay, thanks."

"You're welcome. Here you go." Mia nodded, stopping at the doorway briefly before knocking softly.

"Come in," Greg said softly. Mia took a deep breath before walking in. Greg looked up as the door opened, and neither knew how to begin. "Uh… hi," he said finally.

"Hi," she replied with a slight chuckle.

"You, uh, you can sit down." She nodded, taking a seat.

"Thanks." Both fell silent again.

"Uh, thanks for coming."

"No problem. Umm, I read your card. It was really sweet."

"Thanks. I meant it, Mia. I really did. Every word." She nodded, watching his face.

"I know."

"I'm sorry, hon. I'm really, really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I was just so… lost, brainwashed, whatever you call it. I hurt you probably worse than anyone else, and I'm really sorry for that, Mia. I really am. I love you so much. I'll understand if you never really want to deal with me again, if you hate me, all of that. Just, I need you to understand that I didn't mean it." She took a deep breath.

"I know you didn't," she said quietly. He looked at her closely. "Part of me always knew you didn't mean it. It just, hurt so much, you know? It was hard to think that you didn't mean it."

"I know," he said softly, looking down again. She slid her chair closer to him and lifted his chin with her hand.

"But I knew you better than that. I knew my father had brainwashed you, had made you believe that I was the spawn of Satan, and that was why you hated me, why you grew so cold. But it still hurt. I trusted you, but a lot of stock in you always being there and promising not to hurt me."

"I'm really sorry." He pulled her hand off his chin and held it tightly in his hand. "I'm not asking for a second chance with you. I'm not even asking you to like me. I'm just asking for you to not hate me."

"Greg…"

"I'm not even bold enough to ask for your forgiveness. I know that you are the forgiving kind, you can do it, but I'm not going to ask for that because I know that's asking too much from you."

"Greg…"

"But I'm really sorry," he continued. "I'm so sorry for everything I did. I hurt you so bad, and I'm really sorry. I don't think apologies are enough, though. Words usually never can mean enough. So, I'm willing to try and make it up to you."

"Greg…" she said.

"No, Mia, I mean it. I'll do anything."

"How about giving me a moment to speak?" His face flushed.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. What I wanted to say is that I don't hate you. Despite how much you hurt me, I could never hate you. I love you way too much for that. Yeah, you hurt me, but I'm getting over it. I can't hate you."

"You didn't say 'loved.'"

"What?"

"You said love. Present tense, not past tense. You still love me after all I've done to you?" She half-snorted, smiling.

"Yes. For some reason, I still do." Greg smiled wide. "I know you're sorry, and if you were to ask, I'd probably take you back in a heart beat, which scares me more than anything in the world. I know you never meant to hurt me, because I know that the only reason you said any of the things you said was because my father brainwashed you. I'm sorry he did that to you."

"It's not your fault."

"I believed every word you wrote. But part of me felt I had to hear it come straight from you. Had to see your eyes when you said it. Because you can't lie to me when you're staring me straight in the eye." He chuckled.

"I can't lie to you even when I'm not looking at you." She smiled.

"Good to know." They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Greg smiled.

"You look good, Mia," he said.

"Yeah, so do you," she replied.

"Yeah, I'm doing a lot better, you know?"

"That's good, Greg."

"You heard what happened, huh?"

"From Nick, Wendy, Catherine, Warrick, Mandy, Archie, and Henry. Oh, and from James, the new trace tech. Oh, and Judy too."

"I'm lab gossip, aren't I?"

"No one really knows where you are, if that's what you're wondering. But the lab does gossip about your antics leading to your 'vacation.'"

"Vacation?"

"They think you're in Hawaii or San Gabriel or something." He nodded, falling silent. She took the moment to realize that he was still holding her hand from earlier, and she deduced that she didn't want him to let go. "When do you get out of here?" she asked softly.

"When I'm ready," he replied. "Well, I mean, when I feel I'm ready. I can leave at any time." She nodded, looking down. "I really am sorry."

"Greg, stop apologizing."

"I'm glad you came." She smiled.

"Yeah, me too."

"Remind me to thank Nick and Wendy later." She laughed.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I know you wouldn't come without some provocation." She smiled.

"I had my birthday the other day."

"I know. You turned 28."

"Yeah. And Nick and everyone at the lab threw me a birthday party, completely over the top." Greg smiled.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "Nick told me about it."

"He would," she said with a smile. "It put everything else I've done for any of my birthdays completely to shame."

"Yeah, I bet." She frowned.

"And yet, the entire time I was there, I couldn't help but think something was missing. And by something, I mean someone. You." He frowned.

"I wish I could've been there. I've missed you." She squeezed his hand.

"Missed you too." She moved from the chair she had occupied opposite him to sit on the bed next to him. He watched her quietly for a moment.

"I really thought you'd never want anything to do with me after that," he said.

"Let's just say you owe Nick and Wendy big time," she replied. He nodded.

"I'm really sorry."

"I know you are. If you keep saying it, though, I'm going to knock your teeth in." He laughed.

"Okay, fair enough." She smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too, Greg." He let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. When she didn't fight back, he slid closer to her.

"I do have a question, if I may be so bold to ask."

"Go for it."

"Does this mean you're willing to take me back? Because when I get out of here, I'll take you out on a nice date, something amazing and worthy. But if you don't want to… I understand completely. I don't deserve a second chance, and I know that, but…"

"Greg, if I wasn't willing to try again, I never would've come here." He smiled, closing his eyes.

"Pinch me." She grinned evilly, pinching him hard on the leg. "Hey, that hurt."

"You asked."

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming," he said. "That this was really happening."

"It's real, Greg," she said, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I love you, and I'm happy for another chance, but you're crazier than me." She laughed.

"I was well aware of that before I walked through the door today. Love makes you do crazy things. I told you once before, when I fall, I fall hard. It's hard for me to let go."

"I know." He kissed her gently on the temple. "Thank you. For giving me another chance. I don't deserve it."

"I know. But, like I said, love makes you do crazy things. I love you, and I want to go back to where we were." She wrapped her arms around him, and he smiled.

"Everything will be alright."


	7. Busting Free

A/N: My goal is to finish posting this by the end of the week... which shouldn't be too hard, considering I have one more chapter to post... lol. Anyway, I still only own Mia and the Doc, who actually gets a name in this chapter! lol. I hope you guys enjoy, and please review!

* * *

Chapter 6: Busting Free

Greg sat on the bed, his feet dangling over the edge. He was too bored to leave them flat on the floor. She walked into the doorway, smiling at him. "Finally breaking free, huh?" she asked. Greg laughed.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Thank you, for everything." She smiled.

"Just doing my job." He chuckled.

"You know, that's what I tell people who thank me for finding their kid's murderer or rapist or whatever." She smiled.

"Yeah. It's good to see you happy, Greg."

"Yeah, I know. I feel a lot better than I did when I came in."

"I'm glad."

"Thank you, Dr. Masterson." She smiled.

"You're welcome, Greg. Your ride should be here soon." He nodded, and she walked forward with the clipboard. "Sign this, and you're all set." He smiled.

"Great." He signed the form, and she stepped back.

"Best of luck, Greg."

"Thank you, Dr. Masterson." She smiled, walking out of the room and leaving Greg to kick his feet in the silence.

* * *

"Remind me why I let you drive again?" Mia grumbled. Nick sighed.

"Because I have the bigger car," he replied as they made it to the nurses' station. She groaned, and Nick turned to one of the nurses. "Hi, we're here to pick up Greg Sanders." He nodded, standing.

"Follow me," he said. They did as they were told, with Mia still grumbling quietly about Nick's driving.

"Get over it, Princess."

"Bite me," she said.

"That's Greg's job," Nick retorted. Mia bit her lip, turning slightly pink.

"Shut up." Nick laughed as the nurse pointed at the door and walked away. The two of them walked in, and Greg looked up.

"Finally," he said. "What the hell took so long?"

"Traffic," Nick said.

"Nick doesn't know how to drive," Mia retorted, looking at him.

"Well, that I knew," Greg joked.

"Ready, Psycho?" Greg nodded, and the three of them left the room. The staff wished him well as he walked by, and he smiled. "Quite popular, huh?"

"Did you expect anything else?" Mia laughed, and Nick shook his head.

"Every damn day, you get more like her," he commented. Greg shrugged.

"Yeah, well every damn day, she gets more like me," he replied.

"It evens out in the end," she added as they left the unit and the hospital. Greg took in a deep breath. "You're free again. Don't do anything stupid or we'll put you right back."

"I won't. I have no reason to. You're here." She blushed.

"Yeah." Nick chuckled, and she smacked him. "Shove it, Tubby."

"Hey, it's cute," he said. She rolled her eyes, and Greg chuckled, taking her hand in his. She smiled, squeezing his hand gently.

"So, Psycho, how about breakfast?" she asked. Greg smiled.

"Sounds good."

"Nick's already agreed to buy."

"I have?" Nick asked, looking at her. She nodded, smiling. "Good to know I opened up my wallet."

"Hell, you've gone all out before," she said with a wink. He laughed, shaking his head. Greg watched the two of them quietly.

"So, question," he said. Nick and Mia turned to him.

"Yeah?" Nick replied.

"When did the two of you become best friends?" The two looked at each other before laughing.

"I don't know, probably after you left?"

"Something like that," she said, climbing in shotgun. Greg climbed in the back as Nick plopped in the driver seat.

"So, where are you treating us to?" Greg asked, looking at Nick.

"Frank's," he replied.

"Why do we always go there?" Mia griped.

"It's tradition," Greg replied. Mia rolled her eyes.

"You want tradition? How about the tradition of being a glutton on Thanksgiving."

"Hey, that's a nice tradition," Nick said. "A time to join your family around the table and share a holiday meal and be happy." She looked sharply at him.

"Fuck family," she said. Greg frowned in the backseat.

"You have a jaded view, Mia."

"Yeah, but still."

"Can we… not talk about this?" Greg said suddenly. Nick looked up at him for a bit before nodding. Mia turned her head back. She thought of commenting, but decided against it. The three of them rode in a relative silence to the diner, where they walked in and were greeted by the waitress, Vega, and Brass. They chatted amicably over breakfast, happy to have Greg out of the hospital and with them once again.


	8. Welcome Back Take 2

A/N: Okay, so here we go... Final chapter. :D As always, it's been a fun ride, and I hope some of you come back and check out some of my other stories that I got coming up shortly. I still only own Mia... everyone else belongs to CBS and CSI. I hope you guys enjoy, and please review.

* * *

Epilogue: Welcome Back… Take 2

Mia sat in the break room as Catherine slipped in with the cake. "He didn't come in with you, did he?" she asked. Mia shook her head.

"Nah," she replied. "He slept at his own place. Said he had something to do early today and that he didn't want to wake me up." Catherine nodded, smiling.

"Good, good." Warrick walked in, carrying Mylar balloons reading 'Welcome Back!'

"He's not here, right?" he asked. Mia shook her head. "Good." He strategically placed them around the room as Nick walked in with some pizza.

"When's he supposed to get here?" he asked.

"No clue, Porky," Mia said, smiling.

"He left your ass last night?"

"Nah, I made him stay at his place. I got sick of him." Nick shook his head, laughing, before patting her on the shoulder.

"You're too much, kid." She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe for you, but not for him." He shook his head, and sat down on the couch. Grissom walked in a moment later, trailed by Archie and Wendy. Mandy followed soon, and James was the last to walk in. The group chatted amongst themselves as they waited for Greg.

* * *

_If shame had a face, I think it'd kind of look like mine. If it had a home, would it be my eyes?_

Mia groaned, pulling out her cell phone. She flipped it open quickly. "What's up, Psycho?" she said into it.

"Well, good evening to you too," Greg retorted.

"Good evening. What do you want?"

"So curt."

"Greg, come on."

"I just wanted to hear your voice." She blushed, smiling.

"Yeah, I bet."

"No, I'm serious. I couldn't wait until coming in. I had to hear from you now."

"Where are you?"

"Driving. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, good."

"Why's that good?"

"Just…because."

"Aww, I think that's the closest you'll get to saying that you really wanna see me." She chuckled.

"Maybe, maybe not," she said teasingly. The rest of the room looked at one another.

"It is, and you know it," he replied. She shook her head.

"Whatever, Psycho."

"I love you. I'll see you soon."

"Love you too. Drive safe."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up, and everyone watched her. "What?"

"So, what'd Greg have to say?" Nick asked, winking.

"He's on his way," she replied.

"Why'd he call?"

"Because he's a fucking goofball." They all chuckled, and everyone went back to talking until Greg came into the room a few minutes later.

"What the…" he began.

"Welcome back!" everyone cheered. Greg smiled, shaking his head.

"You guys are too much."

"Blame Nick," Mia said. "I always do." Everyone laughed.

"Actually, this was Catherine's idea," Nick said.

"Thanks," Greg said. "To all of you. You guys are amazing."

"You're welcome," Catherine said, hugging him. "Welcome back, sweetie."

"Thanks." Everyone hugged him, shook his hand, or patted him on the back. After a little bit, Grissom cleared his throat.

"Alright, guys," he said. "We have a lot of work to do tonight. Mia, you and Warrick have a 419 in the desert. Nick, you and Catherine have a 415B at the Tangiers. Greg, you're with me. We have a dead body at Lake Mead." Everyone nodded, starting to disperse. Greg gave Mia a quick kiss on the cheek before they separated for their crime scenes.

* * *

The next time that night the two of them met again was in the locker room as they were getting ready to go home. Mia and Warrick had been run through the ringer with their case, chasing their tails and leads that went back to themselves. On the other hand, Grissom and Greg had a simple case, something both of them were thankful for. Mia was slouched on the bench when Greg bounced in. "Hey, babe," he said cheerfully.

"Hi," she grunted. He opened his locker before stopping and looking at her. He frowned.

"Rough case."

"The worst. All our leads are dead ends or trace back to the vic. It's a professional hit and body dump, and we have nothing. It's so fucking frustrating." Greg nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He put his hand on her shoulders, rubbing them tenderly. She leaned toward him, closing her eyes. "I've been there before." She nodded.

"Yeah. Warrick keeps telling me that this is all we can do, but I feel like there's more."

"So go home, sleep on it. You'll think of something." She nodded, keeping her eyes closed.

"How was your case?"

"Simple. Accidental drowning."

"Lucky."

"I think Grissom's starting me more simple. I just got out of the hospital a month ago." She shrugged.

"Probably. Don't want you going off the deep end again."

"I don't think that's possible, though."

"Why not?" she asked, looking up at him. He smiled.

"Because I have you," he said. She rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Yeah, you would say that."

"I mean it. When you left, I realized how much I need you in my life. I love you more than words could ever say, so… I'm kinda hoping this helps." She looked confused as he dug into his pocket.

"Umm…" she began as he pulled out a box. He opened it, revealing a diamond ring on a white gold band, because he remembered how much she hated normal gold.

"Mia, will you marry me?"

The End.


End file.
